Minimally-invasive heart valves and methods of use
First Claim
1. A method of minimally-invasive heart valve replacement surgery on a patient, comprising:
- providing an expandable heart valve stent adapted to be delivered in a collapsed state to an implantation site and expanded, and wherein a plurality of prosthetic leaflets are attached to the stent, each leaflet having an approximately semi-circular cusp edge terminating at each end in commissure portions, and a coapting edge extending between the commissure portions, each leaflet being attached to the stent substantially entirely along the cusp edge and at both commissure portions, with a coapting edge remaining unattached;
storing the stent in an expanded configuration;
compressing the stent just prior to implantation;
delivering the compressed stent through a tube to a heart valve annulus; and
expanding the stent so that the leaflets form a one-way valve at the heart valve annulus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Expandable heart valves for minimally invasive valve replacement surgeries are disclosed. In a first embodiment, an expandable pre-assembled heart valve includes a plastically-expandable annular base having plurality of upstanding commissure posts. A tubular flexible member including a prosthetic section and a fabric section is provided, with the prosthetic section being connected to the commissure posts and defining leaflets therebetween, and the fabric section being attached to the annular base. In a second embodiment, an expandable heart valve includes an annular tissue-engaging base and a subassembly having an elastic wireform and a plurality of leaflets connected thereto. The annular base and subassembly are separately stored and connected just prior to delivery to the host annulus. Preferably, the leaflet subassembly is stored in its relaxed configuration to avoid deformation of the leaflets. The expandable heart valves may be implanted using a balloon catheter. Preferably, the leaflets of the heart valves are secured to the commissure regions of the expandable stents using a clamping arrangement to reduce stress.
398 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of minimally-invasive heart valve replacement surgery on a patient, comprising:
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providing an expandable heart valve stent adapted to be delivered in a collapsed state to an implantation site and expanded, and wherein a plurality of prosthetic leaflets are attached to the stent, each leaflet having an approximately semi-circular cusp edge terminating at each end in commissure portions, and a coapting edge extending between the commissure portions, each leaflet being attached to the stent substantially entirely along the cusp edge and at both commissure portions, with a coapting edge remaining unattached;
storing the stent in an expanded configuration;
compressing the stent just prior to implantation;
delivering the compressed stent through a tube to a heart valve annulus; and
expanding the stent so that the leaflets form a one-way valve at the heart valve annulus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of heart valve replacement surgery on a patient, comprising:
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providing a two-part heart valve, each part being expandable from a collapsed state, one part comprising a tissue-engaging base and the other part comprising a stent with flexible heart valve leaflets;
delivering the base in its collapsed state to an annulus of the patient'"'"'s heart valve being replaced;
expanding the base into its expanded state in contact with the annulus; and
connecting the stent to the base to form the heart valve. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21)
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18. A method of minimally-invasive heart valve replacement surgery on a patient, comprising:
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providing an expandable heart valve stent adapted to be delivered in a collapsed state to an implantation site and expanded, the stent defining a plurality of upstanding commissures and a plurality of arcuate cusps between adjacent commissures, wherein a plurality of prosthetic leaflets are attached to the stent along the cusps and commissures, wherein the stent and leaflets are configured to be radially compressed;
storing the stent in an expanded configuration;
compressing the stent just prior to implantation;
delivering the compressed stent through a tube to a heart valve annulus; and
expanding the stent so that the leaflets form a one-way valve at the heart valve annulus.
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Specification